Sheep-shearing workshop aims at teaching new generations

Deanna Watson, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·2 min read
Sheep shearing demonstration at the Trailing of the Sheep Festival in Idaho.
Sheep shearing demonstration at the Trailing of the Sheep Festival in Idaho.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The art of sheep shearing maybe aging out.

The sheep shearing industry, according to an Indiana livestock organization, needs a new flock of experts to fill a growing void, and a workshop at Purdue is aimed at filling the gap.

The Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program is sponsoring a shearing school, hosted by the Indiana Sheep Association, on Saturday, Feb. 18, according to Purdue. The statewide workshop will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time at Purdue University’s Sheep Center, 5480 Asrec Lane in West Lafayette.

Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m.

“There is a continuous need for young and new sheep shearers as the older generations retire,” Gerald Kelly, manager of the Purdue Sheep Center and shearing school co-organizer. said in a news release. “Producers and 4-H’ers benefit from being able to shear their own sheep efficiently instead of trying to find a professional shearer.

"The Purdue folks are happy to help the industry just as we have for the last 150 years.”

Ella Carlson guides her sheep around the course at the 2022's 4-H Supreme Livestock Showmanship, Thursday, July 21, 2022, at the Tippecanoe County 4-H Fairgrounds in Lafayette, Ind.
Ella Carlson guides her sheep around the course at the 2022's 4-H Supreme Livestock Showmanship, Thursday, July 21, 2022, at the Tippecanoe County 4-H Fairgrounds in Lafayette, Ind.

Anyone can attend the workshop, regardless of experience. You can also participate without the necessary shearing equipment, the release stated. A registration fee of $50 covers the workshop, lunch and use of shearing equipment. You can bring your own equipment, if you have some.

Instructors, all experienced shearers, include master shearer Steve Kennedy, whose family members have been instructors for shearing schools for generations.

Registration forms are available at the ISA website, and must be mailed to ISA Executive Director Bob Benson at 3506 Heathcliff Court, Westfield, IN 46074. The completed registration form and fee must be received by Feb. 1. The class is limited to 20 participants, and all attendees must sign a liability waiver as part of the registration.

The Indiana Sheep and Wool Market Development Program was created to support educational, promotional and research efforts involving sheep in Indiana. Funds for the council are collected from the sale of all sheep in Indiana (0.5% of the net market price of each sheep sold). All funds collected by stockyards, sale managers, producers and others should be sent to the council’s business office at Purdue.

More information is on the program’s website at https://indianasheep.com/checkoff.php.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Sheep-shearing workshop aims at teaching new generations